Awning bracket



July 24, 1928.

W. G. DUNN AwNING BRACKET Filed Deo. 10, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I gfw @Z5/2 W. G. DUNN AWNING BRACKET July 24, 1928.

Filed Dec. 10, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented duly 24, T928.

PATENT HCF..

WILLIAM G. DUNN, OF CLARINDA, IOWA.

AWNING BRACKET.

Application filed December 10, 1927. Serial No. 239,087.

The object of my invention is to provide an awning bracket of simple, durable and comparatively inexpensive construction.

further object of my invention is to provide an awning bracket designed in such a manner that it is readily adapted to :lit all makes of 'cars so that it can be secured to the door or window frame thereof and serve to support parts of the awning for holding the awning in operative position relative to the door or window frame. i

Still a further object is to provide such a bracket in the form of a channel shaped body portion which may be either secured to a surface on the door or Window frame adjacent the glass therein regardless at vwhat angle that surface is lformed relative to the glass in the frame and yet the bracket will serve to support the awning.

Still another object is to provide awning supporting ears on the bracket which may be bent to any desired position whenever the surface, to which the bracket is secured, eX- tends at an angle other than the predetermined angle for which the bracket is originally designed whereby the ears ymay be placed in the correct position for receiving the parts of the awning.

Still a further object is to provide the 30 body portion in channel form so that it may fit over a portion of certain door and Windovv frames instead of being secured against a surface.

screw means associated with the body kportion for engaging the door or Window frame when the bracket is secured in position by its channel part fitting over a portion of the door or Window frame.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the'vari'ous parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Although the invention is susceptible of a variety of embodiments, it is unnecessary to fully describe and illustrate more ing of the invention both from its structural and functional standpoints. Accordingly, I have illustrated a preferred anddesirable embodiment of the invention in the accompanying drawings in Which:

Figures l, 2, 3 and 4 are perspective views than one in order to give a full understandof my improved awning bracket illustrating` 1t secured to door frames of various shapes.

Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are enlarged sectional views on the lines 5-5, 6--6, 7-7 and 8 8 of Figures l, 2, 8 and et respectively,xto illustrate the manner of securing the bracket to the various types of frames.

Figure 9 is a view of the bracket as it is originally blanked out and before it is bent to forni the completed bracket.

Figure l0 is an elevation of two brackets secured to the sides of a door frame and illustrating the manner in which they support an awning, the View being taken from the inside of an automobile.

Figure l1 is a sectional vievv on the line llkll of Figure 10. Figure 12 is a similar sectional view showing the awning moved to another position.

Figure 18 is an enlarged perspective `view of the bracket itself as formed for use; and

Figure 14: illustrates themanner of bending the body portion relative to the awning supporting ears for adapting thebracket to different shapes of door frames.

On the accompanying drawings, l have used thek reference character A to indicate generally the awning bracket itself. The bracket A comprises a body portion formed of two flanges 10 and 12. The flanges 10 and l2 are connected by a` web portion la as clearly illustrated in Figure 9 of the drawings,

. whereby when the device is bent at right Still a further obJect is to provide set angles onthe indicated lines 16 and 18, a channel shaped body portion is formed.

Figures 5 to 8 inclusive illustrate the channel shape of the body portion. The 'flange l0 of the body portion of the bracket is provided at each end with slots 20, the purpose of which will hereinafter be described.

Extending from the web la in a direction opposite to the flange l0 and at one end of the Web, is an ear 22. The ear 22 is formed with a depression 2'11 vwhich may be provided; With a slot 26 or merely a round hole for the purpose of supporting an awning roller 28. Between the flange l() and the ear 22, the metalv is cut away as indicated by the notch 30.

At the other end of the Web la a projecting ear 82 is formed. The ear 82 is provided with an opening` 34 and a somewhat smaller opening 36. The flange l2 is provided with a pair of openings 88 which may merely be pushed through the lflange and the metal around these openings is preferably bent IlG away from the fiange to form a boss and then bent back toward the flange as clearly illustrated in Figure 8 of the drawings.

The purpose of so bending the metal adjacent the openings 38, is to provide an opening which is longer than the thickness of the metal so that a set screw 4() may be screwed into each of the openings 88. The s-et screw 40 may be of clase hardened material so that it will not be necessary to thread the Opening 88 but by merely screwing the screw 40 into the opening, it will form its own threads.

To accomplish this result, the set screw 40 is slightly tapered so that it will wedge its way into the opening. IVhen a bracket of this character is used to support an awning, it is necessary to secure a bracket to each of the two sides of a door or window frame as clearly illustrated in Figure 10.

he door is indicated by the reference numeral B and includes a pair of side rails 42 to which the brackets are secured. I propose to originally form the bracket A. with the flanges 10 and 12 and the web 14 forming a channel. I then propose to bend the ears 22 and 82 at an angle of about 45 degrees to the web 14. The bracket, therefore, will fit againsta side rail 42 as illustrated in Figure which has a. sloping surface 44 to which the flange may be secured.

The fiange 10 is secured to the surface 44 by means of screws 46 extending through the slots 2O and into the rail 42. The rail 42 is provided with a window groove 48 in which a window glass 50 is slidably mounted so that it can be raised and lowered. The groove 48 is lined with felt 52 to form an air tight joint between the rail 42 and the glass 50.

The ears 22 and 82 extend at right angles to the glass 50 so that they may support the awning` roller 28 and the awning frame 54. One of the brackets A has a flattened end of the roller 28 received in its slot 28 and the other bracket has a round pin of the roller received in the hole 54 of the ear 22.

It may here be mentioned that the roller 28 is of the ordinary window shade type having a coiled spring on its inside which is wound up as the `awning is withdrawn and serves to roll the awning back into the roller when the awning` is released. That is why I provide the slot 26 so thata port-ion of the roller to which the spring is attached will not rotate when the roller is rotated so that the spring can be wound up.

The awning frame 54 comprises a pair of Z-shaped rods,` one. end of each fitting into the openings 84 of the ears 32 and the other end fitting into a tubular binder 56 secured to the free edge of the awning 58. It is understood that the awning 58 has one end secured to the roller andE is normally wound thereon.

In Figure 11 I have illustrated the awning in use on an automobile showing it extended to prevent the entrance of sun through the glass 50. To hold the awning frame 54 in the extended position illustrated, I provide a spring 60 interposed between ears 62 on the frame 54 and eye rods 64 which are slidably mounted over the frames 54.

The free ends of the eye rods 64 terminate in pivot ends 66 which extend through the openings 86. As illustrated in Figure 11, the springs 60 exert a tension downwardly on the awning 58 when in either the full line position or the dotted line position. The same is true of all intermediate positions.

The, clutch in the roller 28 serves to prevent the return of the awning 58 so that the springs 60 and the awning frames 54 serve to maintain the awning 58 extended. In Figure 12 I have illustrated how the awning can be swung beneath the roller 28 and into the inside of the car and then down against the glass 50 for serving as a curtain. In this position, the spring in the roller 28 exerts an upward pull which due to the awning 58 having passed the center formed by the openings 84, serves to keep the awning against the glass.

In the type of door frame illustrated in Figure 6 where there is no angular surface 44 as shown in Figure 5, the flange 10 may be secured against the surface 68 of the side rail 42 in which case the ears 22 and 32 may be bent to position parallel to the flange l() so thatthey are in the proper position for receiving the parts of the awning.

In case the surface 68 is not sufliciently wide to have the flange 10 secured thereagainst, the flange 10 may be secured against the surface 70 of the rail as illustrated in Figure 7. In this position, the ears 22 and 82 are bent at right angles to the flange 10 so that they are in proper position for coacting with the awning parts.

In Figure 8 I have illustrated a type of door frame formed of sheet metal which has a flange 72. The felt 52 is positioned directly back of the flange 72 and in a rail of this type, the channel portion of the bracket A slips over the flange 72, the flange 10 fitting between the felt 52 and the flange 72.

Vhen used in this way instead of using the screws 46 for holding the bracket A in position, I use the set screw 40 which bears against the flange 72 and thereby secures the bracket in position. On a door frame of this character, only the flange 12 is visible inside of the door frame, the frame 10 being hidden in the window groove.

l In Figure 10 I have illustrated on the left hand side, the bracket shown in Figure 6 and on the right hand side, the bracket shown in Figure 8 showing their appearance in elevation when viewed from the inside of the automobile.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that I have provided an awning bracket which is universally adapted for use on all types of door and window frames so that the dealer when carrying a stock of these awnings will not have to carry several different types of awning brackets. This is a decided advantage from a commercial standpoint.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention l. An awning bracket, comprising an elongated body member, and laterally eX- tending bendable roller-supporting and awning frame-supporting ears adjacent to the opposite ends thereof, respectively, the body member having a portion folded inwardly upon itself between said ears to form a yielding channelshaped portion between said ears.

2. An awning bracket, comprising an elongated body member, and laterally eX- window frame'to securely lock the bracket in place.

Des Moines, Iowa, December 5,1192?.

WILLIAM G. DUNN. 

